The Long Division
by Hexenwerk
Summary: "Sam Wilder knows the truth too well the moment he looks into Prue's eyes. The defiant spirit may be Patty's, but the color is his." An AU in which Prue is Sam's daughter, not Victor's, and this changes a lot. A collection of vignettes that will develop eventually into a story. Rating will go up in later chapters, but probably not past T.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed.**

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 **The Long Division**

 **Prologue**

Rather than the elation Patty expected, she felt an unease on the verge of dread pooling in her gut as she looked into her newborn daughter's eyes for the first time. Pale, like his. There was still the chance that they would change, darken over time to her brown, to Victor's brown . . . this did not reassure Patty.

With her free hand, the one not keeping Prue to her chest, Patty gingerly ran a finger over the baby's face, tracing the arch of the nose, the knot in her throat loosening at the marvel that was her daughter.

A hand came down on her shoulder. Lightly jolting, Patty looked up, saw Victor beaming as he looked down on her and the baby, awe in his eyes. Her stomach flipped again, and though she knew that it was selfish, he was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Turning her head away, Patty continued rubbing Prue's nose, smiling at her small reactions.

It was probably too early to tell, but did Prue's nose resemble Sam's? If Sam were here, she could compare. Well, it obviously wasn't Victor's, which Patty would keep secret as something she thought to her daughter's benefit.

"She's beautiful, Patty. You did amazing," Victor whispered to her, squeezing his hand on her shoulder.

Patty's smile grew broader as she nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. What was she going to tell mom? She'd have to tell her, they'd have to have some sort of contingency plan. If her suspicions were correct, Prue wouldn't be safe from the Underworld and the Elders alike.

Victor . . . could she tell him? How could she, when he looked so happy?

It wasn't safe, either. Patty closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't tell Sam. She would have to break things off with him again.

For all their sakes.

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 **Author's Note:** Thank you for reading, and if you have any feedback, please review! This story is going to start off as a collection of short chapters from multiple time periods and character perspectives around the basic premise of: what if Prue was also Sam's daughter? Considering her dynamic with him in P3 H2O, and Prue's relationship with Victor, I was fascinated by the possibility. However, later I believe I will expand this into a proper story with a cohesive plot, a consistent perspective, and longer chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed.**

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 **The Long Division**

Penny was quick to take Prue from Patty, hardly before Patty could even offer the baby to her. With a hold far more sure than Patty's own tentative one, Penny brought the girl close to her.

"Oh, Patty, she's absolutely perfect. Another strong, proud girl to carry on our legacy," Penny said with a huge smile directed at the infant, who blearily blinked up at her, face scrunched up as if confused to be in the arms of someone other than her mother. "Holding her almost makes me wish I'd had another child."

"That's funny, because I recall a certain someone saying that her daughter aged her prematurely," Patty said with a smile of her own.

Penny huffed, shaking her head. "I still stand by that! I cannot wait until this girl gives you wrinkles of her own. Regardless, it's all worth it, Patty."

Patty nodded and, suddenly feeling empty, motioned with an anxious flutter of her fingers that she wanted Prue back. Penny sighed, but returned Prue to her Patty's arms without complaint, watching as she took her. Reaching forward, Penny rearranged her daughter's arms–earning an exasperated look but otherwise no comment from Patty–until she was satisfied that her granddaughter was secure and comfortable.

"I can't believe I missed her birth," Penny said longingly, and Patty angled her body slightly away, knowing that Penny wouldn't take Prue from her without permission but nevertheless feeling an unexpected and fierce need to keep her as close as possible.

"Mother, you were vanquishing that demon that tried to kill me. I'm just glad that Prue and I don't have to worry about him anymore. Isn't that right, Prue? Your Grams won't let any mean old demons get to you."

Penny watched Patty coo at Prue. "I really am a grandma now, aren't I? I still think you've made one of me too soon."

"Mom, it's not like I'm doing this on my own. I'm still going to be living here and you can help me raise Prue."

"I'm going to raise her also." Penny looked up to see who had spoken, scowling at the sight of Victor hovering a bit behind Patty. He met her gaze, then looked away to focus on Patty.

"I got the stuff out of the car. Where should I . . .?" He hefted up the bag he was carrying from where it was slipping down his arm back onto his shoulder.

"The nursery," Patty said, keeping still so that Victor could give Prue a peck on her thatch of dark hair before heading up the stairs. "Oh, and Victor?"

Victor paused on the staircase.

"Feel free to start putting things away and moving stuff around? I want the nursery to be completely prepared for Prue."

"Of course," Victor said, sounding pleased, though Penny's obvious irritation increased. He ascended the rest of the stairs and disappeared from sight. Patty waited for a moment, making sure that he was completely out of earshot. Returning her attention to Penny, she found that her mother was already staring at her with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Patty asked, heat pricking in her cheeks immediately, knowing that she couldn't get anything past Penny's scrutiny.

"Come on, let's go into the kitchen, we'll have a bit more privacy there," Penny said, directing Patty into the kitchen. She made to grab a glass and a pitcher of water that were left out on the table, then paused. "Is this something during which I'm not going to be wanting to be drinking when you tell me it?"

"Probably not a good idea."

Penny set the glass down and gave Patty her full attention. Patty squirmed slightly, remembering how her mom would stare her down like that whenever she got into trouble.

She really was in trouble, wasn't she?

Patty had a peculiar sense, that a foreboding presence was looming just beyond the present. She knew, rationally, that it was probably just her fear of Prue being targeted by the Elders if they ever learned of her origins, and the guilt that came with being with and still yearning for Sam despite her relationship with Victor, and all the deceit that went with those complications that now seemed to snowball into one abominably tangled mess . . . by the gods, how could one baby be so much trouble by mere virtue of her existence?

Was she a terrible mother for thinking that? Blinking back burgeoning tears, Patty planted a kiss on Prue's forehead, lingering on the feeling of her skin and scent, the kind capable of provoking the maternal instinct that only newborns seemed to possess.

"Patty?" Penny said, much more gently than before, moving close to her and placing an arm lightly around her shoulders. Patty burrowed herself into Penny's embrace, which tightened but remained mindful of the squirming baby. For several moments Patty remained there, eyes shut and letting the smell and soothing murmurs of her mother block out the rest of the world. Taking a deep breath, Patty drew back, forcing herself to meet Penny's concerned gaze.

"I made a mistake, Mom. Prue, she's . . . I don't think she's Victor's." Her voice dropped into a whisper at the end.

"No? Then, who–oh. Oh. You don't mean . . .?"

Patty nodded.

"Really? Are you positive?"

"I don't know for sure, but in my gut . . . look at Prue's eyes, Mom. She has his same eyes."

Penny angled herself to get a better look at Prue, brows furrowed. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything. Lots of babies are born with blue eyes, they can change. Or maybe Victor has an ancestor with blue eyes? I recall one of your great-aunts on my mother's side having blue eyes."

"I can just tell. Look closer, can you see anything of Victor in her at all?"

At Patty's urging, Penny continued examining Prue, lips pursed.

"Well, there's not really any resemblance . . . but she's still a baby, it might just not be obvious right now," Penny said, though her tone was dubious. Patty's assurance of Prue's ancestry, and the physical evidence of Prue herself, was getting to her past whatever logic she may put up as a barrier.

Patty stared down at the floor without seeing, Penny's feet in her line-of-sight moving away. For a moment she was afraid that she was going to tell Victor, or worse, reject her entirely, and then she heard the clinking of glass. Looking up, Patty saw Penny holding up a crystal decanter, the contents of which she proceeded to pour into a glass.

Seeing Patty's look, Penny shrugged. "You can't drop that on me and not expect me to need a drink."

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 **Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, some personal issues happened and life basically hit me like a brick to the face.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed.**

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 **The Long Division**

"I think we need to bind her powers."

"What?" Patty asked, her hold on Prue tightening for a moment. She stared in disbelief at Penny, who sat across from her swirling the amber liquid in her glass. Despite her previous words, the older woman had hardly touched her drink aside from an initial sip. "You, Mom, the proudest witch that ever was?"

Penny scoffed. "I didn't mean her witch powers. I meant her Whitelighter ones. If she has any, that is."

"Is that even possible?"

"I don't know; Whitelighters don't have their powers bound long-term. If the Elders deem a Whitelighter unfit for further service, they just strip their powers from them."

"Can't we just wait and see what happens? We don't even know if Prue has any Whitelighter powers." Penny readjusted her grip until she could wriggle an arm free from Prue, flexing the stiffness out of it with small motions. She knew she should either give her to Victor or set her in the bassinet, but with the way things were turning out, she wanted the time with her. Beside, it felt kind of wrong to discuss Prue's fate without her present, even if she wasn't capable of understanding anything going on around her.

"Yes, but if she does? The moment she manifests them, the Elders will swoop down on all of us." Penny scowled and her grip tightened around the glass. "Our problem is that we don't know exactly what Prue _is_. A witch, with or without Whitelighter problems? Or vice versa? A hybrid? Or even neither! Maybe neither magical sides of her will present and she'll be entirely mortal!"

Penny shot a glance at Prue and swallowed the bitter taste on her tongue. Perhaps it made her an awful person, but she couldn't help but wish for a moment that this baby had not been born. Funny, how the dream of seeing her line continue had the potential of becoming a nightmare. She raised the glass to her mouth and drained most of it in a single draught.

Demons and their scheming she could deal with. It was a world without the support of the Elders–or being directly opposed to them–which she didn't want to consider but now had no choice but to. Sure, the Elders were beyond frustrating to deal with, but they were useful resources and undesirable enemies.

Worst came to worst, they'd make due. Warren witches were survivors above all else. When even magic failed them, they always had their wits and family to fall back on. Penny's gaze fell on Prue once more and she felt something slide into place within her. Prue was family. That was it, there was nothing more to consider; they would do what was best for her, simply because she was theirs, and they were hers.

"But we don't want the Elders to have any claim on her." Patty was resolute, and glad to see her mother agree immediately with a curt nod.

"Patty, wh–" Victor began as he entered the kitchen, only to be frozen with a flick of Patty's hand. Patty glared at his still form, even though she knew he was at fault for nothing. She couldn't even blame him for not being the real father of Prue, because even though as much as she'd like to–and it'd be easy, really–she couldn't deny the reality that it had ultimately come down to her to sleep with Sam behind his back.

She wished she could've loved Victor like she was supposed to. Could she blame him for not eliciting the same feelings from her that Sam did? She still loved him, but he was no Sam.

"That man is the most obnoxious thing. Most men have the decency to up and leave the moment the passion fades, but him?" Penny dipped her fingers into the glass and flicked drops of alcohol at Victor as if she were doing a ritual cleansing.

"Mother!"

"What? He's not even the f–" Penny cut herself off, but the hurt and shame twisting Patty's face didn't go away immediately. They sat in silence for several minutes, during which Penny finished off the dregs of her drink, considered the decanter, and resisted pouring another glass.

Then, Patty spoke, "Do you really think we can do it? Actually come up with a way to bind Prue's Whitelighter half while leaving our side intact?"

"We have to try, at least. We can't just keep tiptoeing around the issue and hope that everything will be alright. We have to act preemptively."

"It just seems like a lot. To do to her. To do ourselves. We don't know how her two sides will interact and it's going to be complicated."

"Complicated, yes, but you know what, Patty? We're Warren witches, don't ever forget that we're the best of the best. If anyone can manage it, we can. I'm one of the best potions brewers our family has ever seen, and you've always been capable of writing a mean spell. Now unfreeze your man, give Prue to him, and we can head up to the attic and get started." Penny stood up and put the alcohol away and the glass by the sink.

"You know, most people get to rest after coming back from the hospital with their newborn," Patty said as she too got out of her chair, already walking over to Victor.

"Most people don't lead the lives we do."

"–at, huh? Did you?" Victor started upon coming out of stasis, but then Patty was putting Prue in his arms and eyeing him until she was confident that he was holding her right.

"Sorry, private conversation."

"Magic stuff, it doesn't concern you," Penny said as she swept by him.

"I daresay it should, considering that my daughter is probably magical," Victor grumbled. Patty just smiled apologetically at him and pecked him on the cheek before following after her mother.

"You know something, Prue? I hope you aren't. You deserve to lead a carefree life like any other girl," Victor said to Prue, smiling down at her with delight. "Come on, let's take you to your nursery so that you can see daddy's hard work."

He headed up to the nursery, eager to introduce Prue to everything he'd set up for her.

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 **Author's Note: Really did not mean to go that long between updates, sorry. Finals, burnout, holidays, and surgeries all happened around the same time. Next chapter should be out soon!**


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